Tooth paste dispenser



INVENTOR.

May 10, 1960 J. D. HENLEY TOOTH PASTE DISPENSER Filed May '7, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 1 James D. Henley This invention relates to a tooth pastedispenser and more particularly ;to a dispenser capable of dispensingany substance that is in a flexible tube.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanically simple andpractical device which is adapted to be mounted on a supporting surfaceand to dispense discrete quantities of the substance or tooth paste inresponse to a simple manipulation of a single arm, handle, knob, etc.

The invention is embodied in a dispenser which can be manufactured ofmetal, plastic or other suitable material and which houses .the entiretube in a neat, orderly fashion. The contents of the tube are verycompletely used to avoid waste. Although there have been priordispensers for tubes of substance, usually tooth paste, this dispenserdistinguishes from the others in its structural make-up. It isexceedingly positive in its action and easy to load and unload.

There are numerous features of the invention, such as the tooth brushholder which positions exactly correctly the bristles of the brush withrespect to the discharge end of the dispenser so that the tooth paste isreceived on the brush and not wasted and not spread ,over areas where itis unwanted.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a dispenser constructed in accordancewith the invention and showing a typical mounting thereof. Y

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line "22 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure1.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure3.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower end of thedispenser.

In the accompanying drawings there is a dispenser 10 which isconstructed in accordance with the invention. This dispenser has adispenser case 12 provided with sides 14 and 16, a top 18 and an openbottom within which a dispenser adapter 20 is fitted. The top 18 is madeof U-shaped member Whose sides 22 and 24 fit over a small part of theouter surfaces of the dispenser sides 14 and 16 and is held in .place byany fastening expedient, as by screws, frictionally fitting, etc. Anotched tooth brush holder flange 25 protrudes from the lower edge ofside 24 to retain tooth brushes in a convenient place. The lower ends ofthe sides 14 and 16 have short inwardly directed rails 26 and 28 (Figure3) onto which flanges 30 and 32 of adapter are slid. The adapter isconstructed of a nited States Patent end is enlarged and if desired, mayhave screw threads 40 within which the threaded end 42 of the tube 38 isattached. An upwardly opening recess 44 is in thetop.

of adapter 30 to accept the ordinarily beveled end of'the tube near thethreaded part 42.

The lower end of the adapter has a slide valve 48 which consists of aU-shaped member whose upper side 50 is slidable in track 52 formed inthe adapter 20. A port 54 is in side 50 and registers with passage 34 topermit some of the contents of the tube to be discharged. The connectingmember 56 of the U-shaped slide valve holds the side 58 of the slidevalve spaced and parallel to member 50. The member 58 constitutes a restfor the back of the tooth brush (Figure 2) in the region of thebristles. I Flanges 60 and 62 are fixed between membars 56 and 58 forrigidity and strength of construction. A finger-grip 66 is attached toone of the members, preferably member 50 to facilitate manual operationof the Latch 70 pivoted by pin. 72. at one end,

slide valve. extends across thelower open front of the case. The latchhas a slot 74 near the non-pivoted end and is engageable over a fixedpin 76 that is carried by side 14 of the dispenser. The latch releasablyholds the adapter in place within the dispenser permitting it to beseparated so that the tube 38 can be applied to the adapter or removedfrom the adapter depending on whether a new tube is being inserted or anold tube is being discarded.

Sides 14 and 16 are each made of several parts and have a part of themeans for squeezing discrete quantities of the contents from tube 38.The side 14 (Figure 4) is made of a flat outer plate 80 with an inturnedflange 81 at its rear vertical edge. The front vertical edge of flatplate 80 has a short wall 82 to which plate 83 is fixed. Plates 80 and83 are parallel and spaced so that bolts 84 can pass through this space.The bolts 84- are secured to short extensions 85 of elongate plates 86.The plates 0 are L-shaped in section with the longer side thereof havingrack gear teeth 37 thereon and the shorter side thereof bolted, forexample by bolts 88, to the back wall 89 of the dispenser. Side 16 isconstructed identically, having plate 91 with rack gear teeth 92 (Figure6) and secured to the back 59 of the dispenser. A fiat outside plate 93has the longer flange of the generally L'-shaped (in cross section)plate 91 fitting flush thereagainst. wall 94 corresponds to wall 82, andthe inside plate 95 parallels the fiat plate 93 leaving a space forbolts 96 which are similar in function to bolts 84-. The rear inwardlydirected flange 97 of side 16 serves a purpose similar to the flange 81with both of these flanges having confronting edges that are spaced froma rear plate 98 which is bolted, as by bolts 99, to the back 89. Theedges of plate 98 and the flanges 81 and 97, respectively form tracks sothat the entire dispenser can be slid on stationary rails 100 that arefixed to a supporting surface. Further facilitating the mounting ismounting bracket 102 which is attached by bolts 104 to the back 98 ofthe dispenser and to a supporting surface.

Pinions 104 and 106 are secured to a spindle 108 that has a handle 110at its extremity. Roller is attached onto the spindle and as shown inFigure 3, the spindle may be sectional with the roller being separableto apply different sizes of rollers. Pinions 104 and 106 are inengagement with the teeth of the two rack gears so that when the handle110 is rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction (dependingon the direction of movement desired) the roller 120 will move up ordown in the dispenser and squeeze the contents of the tube 38 throughPatented May 10, 1960' The front passage 34 when the slide valve isopen. The pinions are held captive in the chambers formed in sides 14and 16 between the inner parts 93 and 95 and the outer parts or plates80 and 93 of the dispenser sides; This is shown in Figure 6. As thecontents of the tube 38 are used, the roller 20 will assume newpositions along the vertical dimension of the dispenser. discharge endof the tube can be applied has been discussed. The opposite end of thetube is generally provided with a strip 122 to fasten the end of thetube together. This strip can be fitted in any one of a group of notches124 that open through the front surface of the back 89 of the dispenser.Notches 124 have inclined walls so that the strip 122 portion of thetube 38 forms a wedge-lock when applied therein. As the tube nearsexhaustion, the roller becomes superposed with a curved baffle 126(lower part of Figure 2) and between which the tube is squeezed in orderto exhaust practically all of the contents of the tube 38. V

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A dispensed for the contents of a collapsible tube comprising an openfront case having upright sides, an

The ease with which the adapter having an upright passage therethroughfor attaching a neck of a tube therein in upright position for dischargeof the contents of the tube out of said passage, tube collapsing meansin said case, means slidably detachably mounting said adapter on 'saidsides for removal forwardly out of the front of the case to remove acollapsible tube, a slide valve mounted on said adapter for opening andclosing movement to open and close said passage and movable forwardly toopen said passage for discharge of contents of a tube onto a toothbrushout of said passage, a finger grip member on said valve for moving thevalve forwardly, a stop wall on said valve engaging said adapter tolimit forward movement of the valve, and releasable latch means on saidcasing extending across the front of the casing in front of the adapterto prevent forward movement of said adapter incidental to engagement ofsaid stop wall with said adapter in opening said valve.

2. The combination of claim 1, said latch means comprising a bar pivotedon one side wall of the case for movement into releasing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,528,662 Miller Nov. 7, 1950 2,556,826 Stone June 12, 1951 2,679,951Yantzer June 1, 1954 2,766,908 Wheeler Oct. 16, 1956 2,801,028 Ward etal July 30, 1957

